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REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE
17 November 2020
Bi-Weekly Briefing
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of the Red Cross, the World Meteorological Organization, the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria and the World Trade Organization.
Hurricane Iota hits Central America
Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological…
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‘Full scale’ humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ethiopia’s Tigray: UNHCR
17 November 2020
A “full-scale humanitarian crisis” is unfolding as thousands of refugees flee ongoing fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region each day to seek safety in eastern Sudan, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday.
More than 27,000 have now crossed into Sudan through crossing points in Kassala and Gedaref states, as well as a new location further south at Aderafi, where Ethiopian…
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Commitment ‘crucial’ to strengthen Security Council, says UN Assembly President
17 November 2020
Highlighting the importance of the UN Security Council to address peace and security challenges in an increasingly complex world, the President of the General Assembly has called on ambassadors to drive through “true reforms”, to make the body more effective.
“Member States conferred ‘on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace…
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WHO rolls out plan to rid world of cervical cancer, saving millions of lives
17 November 2020
The World Health Organization (WHO) set out a strategy on Tuesday for eliminating cervical cancer, which would avoid the death of an estimated five million women and girls from the disease, by 2050.
“Eliminating any cancer would have once seemed an impossible dream, but we now have the cost-effective, evidence-based tools to make that dream a reality”, WHO Director-General Tedros…
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Rising hunger, ‘an outrage in a world of plenty’: Guterres
16 November 2020
“Hunger is an outrage in a world of plenty”, the UN chief told the governing body of the Organization’s food agency on Monday, highlighting the important role of food security in cementing peace.
“An empty stomach is a gaping hole in the heart of a society. A stunted child's growth in the mind is progress for her and for everyone”, Secretary-General António Guterres attested to the Executive…
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No time for complacency as COVID-19 cases surge: WHO chief
16 November 2020
Despite encouraging news about COVID-19 vaccines and cautious optimism over potential new tools against the disease, “this is not the time for complacency,” the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday during his latest press briefing in Geneva.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN agency is “extremely concerned” by the surge in cases in some countries,…
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Many challenges remain for Sahel Joint Force, warns Lacroix, welcoming ‘increased coordination’
16 November 2020
It will take a variety of different actors to confront and deal with the “daunting challenges” in the Sahel region, the head of UN peacekeeping told the Security Council on Monday.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix noted that counterterrorism efforts in the region have “actually intensified”.
“…
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Climate change: UN chief calls for ‘great leap’ towards carbon neutrality
16 November 2020
As countries work to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, they also have the chance to “get it right” on climate change, the UN Secretary-General told a virtual gathering of influential leaders on Monday.
António Guterres was addressing the third annual Bloomberg New Economy Forum, described as “a global town hall” that brings together government, business, technology and academia.
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Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination opens one hundred and second session online
16 November 2020
Meeting Summaries
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon opened its one hundred and second session online, hearing statements from Simon Walker, Chief of the Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Section at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and several non-governmental organizations.
In his statement, Mr. Walker said that, unfortunately, many months after its appearance, the COVID-19 pandemic was far from being defeated. It continued to pose a number of human rights…
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New Asian trade bloc could play key role in driving investment
16 November 2020
A new trade bloc covering a huge swathe of the Asia-Pacific region will play an important role in developing poorer economies and in post-pandemic stimulus, according to a report published on Monday by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement (RCEP) was signed on Sunday by 15 countries including China, Japan, Australia,…
